PLEASE help my floors!!!

Hi everyone!
I just moved into this house that was purchased by the owners a short while ago. They wanted to paint and do new carpet and then rent it out. Turns out there was NO insulation so they went ahead and did a TON of half a** projects. I can deal with most of it because I ampretty handy BUT THE FLOORS!!!

The floors in the living room where you walk into are maple planks. They are SO GAPPY it is driving me nuts. I can feel it when I walk across them, dirt is getting in it. I have only lived here for a week and I feel as though I am living in filth because I cannot clean in between them.

PLEASE PLEASE someone help me! I don't know what to do. THe last house I lived in had 45year old wood floors that were still perfectly in tact so I have NO idea what to do. All of the other threads I see are filling a crack or two, there is literally a gap between EVERY SINGLE PLANK!!!!

-- Thanks!!!
Jordan

 

Also, yes I know they rather ugly, I would like to polish them nicely once I have at least a somewhat fixed problem to the gaps!

 

Welcome to the forums! I gather this is a rental? Sadly to say the flooring was not acclimated to the house for at least 72 hours, was installed on the quick, and the result is the gaps.

Not much you can do but sand the floors to a good surface, vacuum up all dust, fill the most obtrusive cracks, lightly sand again and apply a gloss finish, many times allowing to dry between coats.

Hang in here as more advice is coming shortly.

 

Cover it up with a cheap area rug (beings it's not your house).

or

Buy a Swiffter duster or a mop with the ropey things on it so you can get between the floor boards.

 

Not much you can do other than refinishing [and filling the gaps] or cover it up. Being a renter limits your options.

Shadie, won't the cracks grab and pull on the ends of a dust mop ?? never used a swifter

 

I think the Swifter duster would be OK, cuz you'd just be kind of dusting with it.
As for the dust mop, as long as you're just swiping over the floor, and not digging in deep, I'd think it'd be OK. Probably a wet mop would be better.
Just a suggestion. All I could think of.